National Security Education Program David L. Boren Fellowships

(1) To provide the necessary resources, accountability and flexibility to meet the national security education needs of the United States, especially as such needs change over time;
(2) To increase the quantity, diversity, and quality of the teaching and learning of subjects in the fields of foreign language, area studies, counterproliferation studies, and other international fields that are critical to the Nation’s interest;
(3) To produce an increased pool of applicants for work in the departments and agencies of the United States Government with national security responsibilities; and
(4) To expand, in conjunction with other Federal programs, the international experience, knowledge base, and perspectives on which the United States citizenry, Government employees and leaders rely.

The award for this program is made to a nonprofit organization that administers this assistance program on behalf of DoD. The award is typically a cooperative agreement to administer this CFDA program as well as CFDA # 12.550 (The Language Flagship Grants to Institutions of Higher Education) and CFDA # 12.551 (National Security Education Program David L. Boren Scholarships). The award is reported to USASpending.gov under CFDA 12.550, which has the most funding between the three programs.

Any U.S. citizen enrolled in an accredited public or private U.S. institution of higher education (defined in 20 U.S.C. 1001 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) is eligible to apply for a graduate fellowship. Students enrolled in Federal government schools are not eligible.

All applicants must be:

U.S. citizens at the time of the national application deadline
Have earned an undergraduate degree
At least 18 years of age or older at the time of the national application deadline
Planning an overseas program in an overseas location outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand
Planning to study in an overseas location of which they are not a citizen
Matriculated for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program in a graduate degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
(For ROTC cadets and midshipmen and members of the military Reserves or National Guard) In inactive, non-drilling status for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program

In addition to these basic eligibility criteria, the Boren Awards give preference to programs based on their duration, focus on intensive study of a preferred language in a preferred overseas location, and the applicant’s field of study.

Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals resulting from an independent merit review.

DLNSEO employs academic peer review for all fellowship applications.